strange flattery

If you keep up with me on Twittaw, you know I’ve become something of a swing dance addict. There’s something uniquely satisfying about learning a new discipline that, if you’re doing it right, requires lots of awareness and technique and then you let it all fly out the window and go with your guts. Or […]

Cool.

It won’t be long until they retire these magnificent birds. I grew up in the triangle formed by March, Norton and Edwards AFBs, so it’s no wonder that I have such a love for all things aviation. The sonic booms rattled windows and nerves as the Shuttle landed tonight, and gave me a little respite […]

Amelia

I promise I’ll have something cello-y in the next day or two, but October shared this with me, and you know I’m buzzing with excitement and maybe a little sadness.

Apollo 11

I like this particular footage, even though it is not as iconic as some of the shots from the tower. It’s what the folks at home saw and heard that day in July, and you can hear the tension in the voice of the guy narrating the countdown. One of the marvelous things about aviation […]

Yeah man, where the cool kids hang out

That would be the observation area at Van Nuys Airport. It’s a place I go about once a week to check out the planes, fantasize about starting lessons again, clear my mind, and generally geek out. I got lucky the other day. Check the progression: Bzzzzz, bzzzzzzz. Cessna 172. I see this guy all the […]

KCCB

Those are the call letters for Cable Airport in Upland, CA. I took a whole day off of teaching and volunteered to man the Angel Flight booth for a few hours, along with some other folks with more aviation experience. My favorite part by far was the thunderous presence of what many of you may […]

heh.

Haydn, part 2, with a section about playing fast for our beloved Guanaco, coming up soon.

Up, up and away

I finally started flying lessons a few weeks ago, and it is so good. Although I am very familiar with Whiteman and Van Nuys airports, which are just a few minutes away from the house, I opted to take at least these formative sessions out of Santa Monica at Justice Aviation. I figure it’s good […]

finding the right teacher

Many of you know that I am an aviation enthusiast and so-called student pilot. In truth, although I come from a family peppered with pilots and have spent many hours “flying” (from the right side of a dual-yoke plane), I have not commenced my studies in earnest. Hangar flying and planespotting do not count. That’s […]

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